I've been meaning to share this supercalifragilisticexpyallidocious post from Melanie Bettinelli for a long time. Back in the day when my kids were little, I was, I think, pretty good at catechizing them. We spent hours reading saint's lives, bible stories, and discussing the lessons in the Baltimore and Ignatius Press catechisms. We celebrated the liturgical year with a million customs, crafts, and recipes. But it didn't occur to me to introduce them to the Divine Office. I guess I assumed that it was too complex for them. And I guess that the family rosary was about as much family prayer as I could survive each day!
But Melanie, a young homeschooling mom with numerous little ones, not only manages to pray some of the liturgical hours each day, but also includes her children in a lovely, informal, and highly creative manner. If II could go back in time to the years between 1985 and 2000, I would do what Melanie does: just read morning prayer out loud, and explain the meaning of the psalms, hymn, and antiphon to any child who happens to be listening and in the mood to ask questions. And this, not only for the sake of the kids. Melanie states that when she does this, it is the best experience of lectio divina she ever has. So do read her long but worthwhile post and, if there are little ones in your house, consider giving her methods a try.
But Melanie, a young homeschooling mom with numerous little ones, not only manages to pray some of the liturgical hours each day, but also includes her children in a lovely, informal, and highly creative manner. If II could go back in time to the years between 1985 and 2000, I would do what Melanie does: just read morning prayer out loud, and explain the meaning of the psalms, hymn, and antiphon to any child who happens to be listening and in the mood to ask questions. And this, not only for the sake of the kids. Melanie states that when she does this, it is the best experience of lectio divina she ever has. So do read her long but worthwhile post and, if there are little ones in your house, consider giving her methods a try.
